Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

Derek Chauvin was found guilty on three counts and the nation is stunned

Rev. Al Sharpton says a prayer as he is joined by the family of George Floyd outside the Hennepin County Government Center on April 19, 2021, in Minneapolis. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Across the nation, people hollered, wept, and honked horns. They stopped what they were doing to observe and to tune in to any television, livestream, or social media around 5 p.m. EST— all to hear the verdict in the case of Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd.

Minneapolis braced for violence, its very leadership used to the legal backlash that happens when police officers hardly ever pay any significant price for the murder of Black and Brown people. Truth be told, nearly every major city braced — fully expecting a not guilty verdict as is the usual outcome of such situations. But not this time.

This time the jury got it right.

Derek Chauvin mug shot.

Chauvin was found guilty on three counts. Count one: intentional second-degree murder. Count two: third-degree murder. Count three: second-degree manslaughter.

“Now we can breathe.” That’s according to Nekima Levy Armstrong, a former president of the Minneapolis NAACP.